It wasn't very lucky for the rabbit. Yet, it remains a popular icon for good fortune in life and gambling circles.

The history of the rabbit foot varies, and it's mostly up to the eyes of the beholder what story is believed. Most signs point to an origin within the Celtic tribes of the British Islands between 700-500 B.C. Or was it Africa?

Because they are burrowing animals, one story says rabbits actually were witches that shape-shifted into bunny form once they returned to the surface. Kill a rabbit, and you kill a witch. History always has been unkind to witches.

Another story is that the foot, which is always taken from the left hind leg of the doomed rabbit, must be harvested while the animal was still alive.

Another is that the rabbit must be shot with a silver bullet.

Another is that the animal must be killed by a person with crossed eyes, in a cemetery under the brightness of a full moon.

A lot of thought went into a little furry foot.

Good-luck charms can come in a variety of forms, but they always are accompanied by a great story.

Poker Hall of Famer Johnny Chan likes to place an orange that he doesn't eat in front of him when playing cards. When he won the World Series of Poker Main Event from 1987-88, the citrus was by his side and has remained ever since.

The orange provided luck, but it also provided something else. There was no such thing as a smoke-free poker room at that time. In fact, they were the absolute opposite of that, as poker caters itself to cigarette smoking like peanut butter to jelly.

A non-smoker, Chan's only method to make the environment bearable was to scratch off a little of the rind off the orange and use the scent of the fruit as an air filter.

In his autobiography “The Godfather,” poker icon Doyle Brunson cites his firm belief in the power of “Casper The Friendly Ghost.” Casper is nothing more than a cheap, $5 black rectangular stone with the logo from the movie “Ghostbusters” emblazoned on it along with his Dolly nickname.

However, Brunson is steadfast that his results when carrying “Casper” trump his results without the stone significantly. The card protector has gained such notoriety that Brunson rents it out for $500 in 30-minute increments. In a single year, he collected more than $25,000 in rental fees.

It's common for players to take a chip from tournaments they have won. Silver and gold coins from a player's birth year are popular choices as well.

There is no mathematical or scientific way to prove whether a good luck charm actually produces legitimate results. But if it's the sort of item or tradition that makes you more comfortable in your gambling environment, there are benefits of its inclusion on those merits alone.